Our Fiery Friend

Key takeaways

The quest's important decisions are spread across companion recruitment, Dammon's work and the later confrontation with Gortash.

Recruit Karlach early The quest is added to the journal when Karlach is recruited in Act One. Delaying her recruitment can reduce the time available for companion conversations and related scenes. Recruit Karlach
Find Infernal Iron Infernal Iron is the central practical resource for Dammon's attempts to manage Karlach's engine. Collecting it before visiting him makes the early stages easier to advance. Infernal Iron
Do not treat the Paladins' claim as fact The hunters encountered early in Karlach's story identify themselves as Paladins of Tyr. Their encounter is a choice point involving Karlach's safety and the party's willingness to hear her side. Paladins of Tyr
Track Dammon between acts Dammon's role is not limited to the first settlement. His later availability depends on the campaign's story state, so resolving his presence before moving on is a useful precaution. Dammon
Expect an incomplete cure The infernal engine remains a defining part of Karlach's story even after Dammon helps stabilize it. The quest is about management, identity and choice as well as repair. Infernal engine
Prepare for major spoilers The final stages involve Karlach's history with Lord Gortash and can affect her ending. Save before the relevant late-game decisions if you want to explore different outcomes. Lord Gortash

Our Fiery Friend is the dedicated companion quest for Karlach, and its progress is distributed across the main acts rather than contained in one location.

The quest begins when Karlach joins the party in Act One. Her body contains an unstable infernal engine, and the immediate problem is finding someone capable of working with it. The first practical solution comes through Dammon, a blacksmith who can use Infernal Iron to help manage the device, turning Karlach's personal crisis into a recurring quest objective.

Karlach's story is also shaped by the people who tried to control or exploit her. Early in the game, a group of hunters claim to be Paladins of Tyr and pursue her. Their encounter introduces the gap between the story they tell about Karlach and her own account of being betrayed and forced into service, so the player's handling of that confrontation has lasting implications for trust within the party.

The wider arc follows Karlach's anger toward Lord Gortash, the person connected to her past and to the betrayal that sent her into the Hells. The quest eventually brings her face to face with him in Baldur's Gate. That confrontation is a major turning point, but it does not by itself settle the infernal engine problem or determine every possible conclusion.

Our Fiery Friend can continue across the full game. Dammon's availability, the party's treatment of Karlach, progress through the acts, and the player's decisions near the end all affect which scenes and outcomes remain possible. Because the quest is companion-driven, keeping Karlach recruited and speaking with her after major developments is as important as completing the obvious objectives.

The quest is best approached as a sequence of personal milestones rather than a conventional chain of map markers. Recruit Karlach early, investigate the threat surrounding her, look for Infernal Iron before meeting Dammon, and revisit the relevant settlements as the story advances. Later sections contain major spoilers for Karlach's relationship with Gortash and for the possible resolutions of her condition.

This page describes the quest's broad progression without assigning unsupported combat statistics or fixed rewards. Some encounters can be resolved through dialogue, combat or other party choices, and the exact availability of later scenes depends on the campaign's state.

Where this sits

RecruitmentKarlach joins the party and the quest enters the journal

Engine workDammon uses Infernal Iron to help manage the problem

Past revealedKarlach's history and the threat around her become clearer

ConfrontationThe quest reaches Lord Gortash in Baldur's Gate

ResolutionLate-game choices determine Karlach's possible outcomes

1Recruit KarlachstartAct One starting point
2Deal with the Paladins of TyrencounterEarly companion conflict
3Meet DammonmilestoneBegin work on the infernal engine
4Continue through Act TwoprogressProtect access to Karlach's story support
5Reach Baldur's GatemilestoneThe Gortash thread becomes central
6Confront Lord GortashconfrontationMajor story turning point
●Choose Karlach's futureresolutionEnding-sensitive stage

Our Fiery Friend progresses alongside the main story and should be checked at each act transition.

Requirements

The quest begins with Karlach's recruitment and advances through conversations, access to Dammon and later story progression.

RequiredRecruit KarlachKarlach must join the party in Act One for Our Fiery Friend to be added to the journal.
RequiredKeep Karlach availableDo not permanently lose Karlach through a companion or story decision if you want to continue her personal quest.
RequiredLocate DammonDammon is the relevant blacksmith for the infernal engine. His availability changes as the campaign moves between acts.
RecommendedCollect Infernal IronBring Infernal Iron to Dammon when the quest or Karlach's dialogue establishes that he can work on the engine.
RecommendedSpeak with Karlach after major eventsCompanion progression frequently depends on conversations rather than only on quest markers.
OptionalKeep a late-game saveThe confrontation with Lord Gortash and the final handling of Karlach's condition contain major consequences.

Objectives

Recruit Karlach in Act OneThis activates the companion quest and establishes the infernal engine as its central problem.
Survive the hunters who claim to be Paladins of TyrResolve the early pursuit in a way that protects Karlach and preserves the party's relationship with her.
Find DammonThe blacksmith is the person who can work with the infernal engine using Infernal Iron.
Provide Infernal Iron when it is neededThe resource enables Dammon's attempts to manage Karlach's condition.
Advance Karlach's personal story through the actsTalk with her after meaningful developments and keep her present as the campaign moves forward.
Confront Lord GortashKarlach's desire for revenge and her history of betrayal converge in Baldur's Gate.
Determine Karlach's eventual pathLate-game choices shape the conclusion of her companion arc.Optional

WalkthroughSpoilers

01
Add Karlach to the party
Recruit Karlach in Act One
Find Karlach during the Act One portion of the campaign and choose the dialogue or actions that allow her to join you. Once recruited, check the journal and speak with her at camp so the infernal engine and the danger surrounding her are established.
Location: Act One
TipRecruit her before making irreversible decisions about the people hunting her.
02
Investigate the Paladins of Tyr
Listen to Karlach's account of the hunters
Karlach's early story is tied to a group that calls itself the Paladins of Tyr. Let her explain why they are pursuing her before accepting their version of events, because the encounter can be approached through conversation or combat rather than by following their accusation blindly.
Location: Act One
Watch outTreating Karlach as the enemy can damage or end her companion path.
03
Protect Karlach from the hunters
Resolve the Paladins encounter
Return to the hunters' location with Karlach present if you want her perspective in the scene, then decide whether to challenge their claim, use dialogue, or fight. Search the area and speak with Karlach afterward; the important result is that she survives and remains available to the party.
Location: Act One
TipA conversation-first approach gives you more time to identify the conflict before combat begins.
04
Obtain Infernal Iron
Search for Infernal Iron
Explore Act One locations and inspect containers, rewards and merchants for Infernal Iron while the engine problem is active. The quest does not require a single named pickup location in every campaign, so use the journal and your inventory to confirm when you have a suitable piece.
Location: Act One
Watch outDo not assume that ordinary metal or unrelated infernal-themed loot will satisfy Dammon's requirement.
05
Have Dammon work on the infernal engine
Bring Karlach to Dammon
Locate Dammon at the blacksmith's settlement and initiate the engine-related dialogue with Karlach available. Give him Infernal Iron when the conversation presents the option; his work can manage the engine, but it does not remove every problem connected to Karlach's condition.
Location: Act One
TipSpeak with Dammon before leaving the act's major settlement if you have the resource and the route is still open.
06
Preserve access to Dammon
Protect the quest's support characters
As the story moves beyond Act One, keep track of Dammon and the settlements where he can appear. Large story events can make characters unavailable, so resolve relevant conversations and engine work before committing to a transition that closes an area.
Location: Act Two
Watch outThe quest can lose important progression if Dammon is no longer available.
Missable
07
Advance Karlach's personal story
Continue Karlach's camp conversations
Karlach's personal arc advances through dialogue as well as through journal updates. Speak with her after major quests, act transitions and revelations about her past, and keep her in the active party when entering scenes that clearly concern Gortash or her infernal history.
Location: Camp and later acts
TipIf no new marker appears, rest and check companion dialogue rather than assuming the quest is broken.
08
Confront Karlach's past
Reach Baldur's Gate with Karlach
The later section of the arc becomes focused on Lord Gortash, the figure Karlach holds responsible for her betrayal and time in the Hells. Bring Karlach into the relevant conversations in Baldur's Gate so the quest can acknowledge her history instead of resolving the scene only through the protagonist's perspective.
Location: Baldur's Gate
Missable
09
Face Lord Gortash
Confront Lord Gortash
When the campaign reaches its confrontation with Lord Gortash, include Karlach if you want her reaction and personal objective to be part of the scene. The encounter is a major story point, and its outcome changes the emotional and practical options available for the remainder of her quest.
Location: Baldur's Gate
Watch outThis stage contains major spoilers and can lock or alter later outcomes.
10
Resolve Our Fiery Friend
Choose Karlach's late-game path
After the Gortash thread and the infernal engine story reach their final stages, speak with Karlach and consider the available choices carefully. There is no single universally correct resolution: the ending depends on the campaign's relationships, completed support and the player's decision about her future.
Location: Late game
Watch outMake a save before the final companion decisions if you want to compare outcomes.
CheckpointMissable

Mission mechanics

Our Fiery Friend is a state-based companion quest rather than a single dungeon objective. Its journal entry can remain active while the party pursues unrelated main and side quests, and progress may be represented by new dialogue, a meeting with Dammon or a later reaction from Karlach rather than by a new map icon.

Infernal Iron is the quest's practical gating resource. Dammon's involvement gives the item a specific narrative purpose: it is not simply a treasure to sell, but a material that can be used in attempts to control the infernal engine embedded in Karlach's chest.

Companion presence matters. Karlach does not need to be in the active party for every step, but taking her to scenes involving the Paladins of Tyr, Dammon or Lord Gortash is the safest way to see her direct responses and avoid resolving an important part of the arc without her.

Act transitions change the availability of people and locations. Treat Dammon as a time-sensitive support character, complete available engine-related dialogue before leaving a settlement, and revisit Karlach at camp after major milestones. These habits reduce the chance that a story-state change will make a future scene inaccessible.

The quest also uses choice rather than a simple success-or-failure structure. The player can support Karlach, challenge the people who wronged her, pursue revenge against Gortash and still face difficult decisions about what her condition means at the end of the campaign.

What works and what does not

Strengths

The quest gives Karlach a clear personal conflict from her first appearance: survival is tied directly to the infernal engine in her chest.
Its progression is integrated into the wider campaign, allowing Karlach's past, Dammon's expertise and Lord Gortash's role to develop across multiple acts.
The Paladins of Tyr encounter establishes early that companion quests can challenge the player's assumptions about who is trustworthy.
The quest supports different roleplaying approaches, including defending Karlach, pursuing her desire for revenge and making a difficult final decision about her future.

Weaknesses

The quest is spread across the game, so its next step can be unclear when no immediate location marker is present.
Some progression depends on companion conversations and the survival or availability of support characters, making it vulnerable to story-state changes.
Helping with the engine does not provide a simple permanent cure, which can make the player's practical efforts feel deliberately limited.
The late-game resolution is emotionally and narratively consequential, so players seeking a completely positive outcome may find the available choices difficult.

Best uses

Keep Karlach as an active companion when investigating threats connected to her.
Use the quest as a checklist for locating Dammon and Infernal Iron before major act transitions.
Treat each act as a separate opportunity to revisit Karlach's dialogue and update the journal.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

Trust Karlach's account of the Paladins of Tyr
Supporting Karlach preserves the companion relationship and allows the early encounter to be handled as a confrontation with the hunters rather than as an attempt to capture her.
Accept the hunters' accusation and turn against Karlach
Karlach's companion path can be damaged or ended, preventing later stages of Our Fiery Friend.
Spoiler
Provide Infernal Iron to Dammon
Dammon can work on the infernal engine, advancing the practical side of Karlach's story without eliminating the larger conflict around her condition.
Leave Dammon's situation unresolved before an act transition
If Dammon becomes unavailable, later engine-related progression and scenes may be lost from the campaign.
Spoiler
Bring Karlach into the confrontation with Lord Gortash
Her personal history and desire for revenge become part of the scene, producing a more direct companion-focused confrontation.
Spoiler
Decide Karlach's future near the end of the game
The final choice determines which resolution of her infernal engine story and personal arc is available in that campaign.
Spoiler

Checklist

Recruit Karlach in Act OneThis adds Our Fiery Friend to the journal.
Hear Karlach's side of the Paladins of Tyr conflictDo this before deciding how to handle the hunters.
Resolve the hunters' encounter without losing KarlachDialogue and combat are both possible approaches.
Collect Infernal IronKeep it available for Dammon rather than selling or discarding it.
Speak with Dammon about Karlach's engineBring Karlach along for the most direct companion context.
Check Dammon's status before leaving an actHis availability can affect later progression.Optional
Speak with Karlach at camp after major milestonesCompanion dialogue may advance without a new map marker.
Reach Baldur's Gate with Karlach still availableThe later Gortash thread is central to her arc.
Include Karlach in the Lord Gortash confrontationThis exposes the personal stakes of the encounter.Optional
Create a save before the final resolutionLate-game choices can lead to different outcomes.Optional

Failure conditionsSpoilers

Karlach is lost as a companionIf Karlach leaves, dies or is otherwise removed from the campaign, the dedicated companion quest cannot continue normally.
Karlach is killed during the Paladins of Tyr encounterThe early hunters' conflict must be resolved without allowing Karlach to be permanently lost if you want later quest stages.
Dammon becomes unavailableAct transitions and major story events can affect access to the blacksmith, potentially preventing later engine-related progression.
A relevant settlement or area is closed by campaign progressionComplete available conversations and engine work before committing to an irreversible move between acts.
Lord Gortash is confronted without Karlach presentThe broader story can continue, but Karlach's direct reaction and some companion-focused content may not appear.

On failure

The quest is not generally failed by ignoring one journal objective for a short time, but companion deaths, lost support characters and major act transitions can permanently change what remains available.

Characters in this mission

KarlachThe companion whose infernal engine and past drive the quest

AftermathSpoilers

Karlach's story does not end with the engine work

Dammon's help addresses the immediate instability of Karlach's infernal engine, but the quest deliberately leaves a larger question unresolved. Karlach's confrontation with Lord Gortash and the player's final decision about her future determine how the companion arc closes, so the late-game outcome should be treated as a choice-driven resolution rather than a standard item reward.

Trivia

The title Our Fiery Friend identifies the quest as Karlach's dedicated companion arc rather than a standalone area mission.
Karlach's infernal engine connects a personal medical crisis to the setting's wider infernal lore.
The quest begins automatically in the journal when Karlach is recruited in Act One.
Dammon's role makes Infernal Iron one of the most recognizable recurring resources in Karlach's story.
The quest's scope is unusually broad for a companion mission because it follows Karlach from her recruitment through the later confrontation with Lord Gortash.
The Paladins of Tyr encounter is an early example of a character quest presenting a contested account of events instead of a neutral objective marker.

Sources

bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki

Relationships

Characters

KarlachCompanion quest forOur Fiery Friend follows Karlach's infernal engine, her past and her possible future.
DammonKey support characterDammon works with Infernal Iron to help manage Karlach's infernal engine.
Lord GortashPast connectionKarlach's history with Lord Gortash drives the later confrontation in the quest.

Items

Infernal IronRequired resourceInfernal Iron is used by Dammon in the engine-related progression.